English

School Food and Nutrition Name: Course: Professor Name: (May 17, 2012) .  Introduction East, west, the whole world is all about Nutrition and health. In working institutions, in our very homes, either through media or otherwise, it’s all about taking care of what we eat. The same should be extended to learning institutions as good health is a vital factor to a learning student. This has been proven through study on how the breakfast and lunch provided in schools affect the students. The school boards especially in public schools are seen to extend a helping hand to the students in these schools who come from lowly families by offering free breakfast and lunch within the school. This could however be a factor that contributes to poor diet in these schools as only a very basic meal is provided. The down side of this gesture as seen by the other able students is that the same food is provided to those who pay for their meals. In places where a totally free meal cannot be provided, there is the reduced lunch programs whereby, a student pays just a small amount so as to get the basic meals. In the year 2010, President Obama signed an act,” The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act”. This is reauthorized from the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. This bill encourages school districts and schools to focus on healthier meals provided in the cafeteria, vending machines and school stores. In order to provide the required diet, specialists in the nutrition area are needed in the schools. This increases employment opportunity for cooks, health officers and nutritionist and in addition, the wages for them are increased since they are of better education. An apple a day keeps the doctor away; this is a very common saying in today’s society. Here, we think of the apple as a symbolic representation of fruits that should be included in our everyday’s diet. Each child in the school should in the least consume a single fruit a day (Nutr, 1999). In addition to the fruit, vegetables are also an essential part of a healthy meal. Nutritionists specifically advice that the recommended fruit intake for children ranges from 1 cup/days between ages 1 and 3, to 2 cups for a 14 year old to an 18 year old. Recommended vegetable intake ranges from ¾ cup a day at age 1 to 3 cups a day for a 14 year old boy to an 18 year old boy (Heart, 2002). Normally, in the schools, we pump carbohydrates and proteins into our children...